Shifting Seasons and an Ocean of Flowers
by InfernoMorgaine
Summary: Join Enora and Skeiron; a duo of trainers who have traveled all the way to the mysterious and ever-blossoming region of Kaiko. Joined together by the whims of Professor Cypress and with both of them hellbent on investigating this seemingly paradisiacal region while attempting to finish their League Challenge, none can tell what will they encounter on their quest through Kaiko.
1. A Springtime adventure

General Disclaimer: We do not own Pokémon or any associated characters. We do own the region Kaiko and the myriad of OC's that we have made for this project.

This is our first published attempt at writing a collaborative fanfic. Honestly, the preparation that we've put into this was somewhat overwhelming to the both of us at first, but once we got to the actual writing part the words simply flowed out of our fingers like a coursing river. We hope that it'll be as much of a pleasure for all of you to read as it was - and still is - for us to write.

Sincerely Yours, Marine Aurora & Baroque Grimoire

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Chapter I: A Springtime Adventure

* * *

It was a windy early spring day in the Kaiko Region, and the sky was filled with shifting clouds and many grey colors could be seen up above. Skeiron Anemoi was walking on the road to Ipomoea Town. Of course, the wind blew harshly, and he had to hold on tight to his thickly woven tweed trench coat. He shivered; evidently, his preparations weren't enough.

"Oh dear me, little one," he said gingerly as he looked at the black vulpine Pokémon that trotted cheerfully by his side. "If only I had fur like yours, I wouldn't have noticed this chilly weather at all."

The Zorua next to Skeiron grinned. The two of them had been traveling side-by-side for quite some time now. They had traveled by foot all the way from Hearthome City in the Sinnoh region and were exhausted by now. Unlike his trainer, however, the little Tricky Fox Pokémon didn't show signs of weariness at all and seemed to be quite glad to have been able to leave his usual surroundings.

"If it hadn't been for Professor Cypress' invitation," Skeiron grumbled, still glaring at his partner's fur in envy. "I could have stayed home instead, in front of a lovely fireplace with a cup of piping hot Roserade Tea and a Shalour Sable. But no, I had to be kind and answer to this untimely summoning."

It would appear that the Professor required his assistance with gathering information on species of Pokémon which also thrived in the Sinnoh Region. Skeiron was far from a Pokémon Professor in terms of knowledge, but Cypress' invitation seemed alluring at the time nonetheless. Not to mention that deep inside, Skeiron was somewhat excited to have a gander at the relatively unknown region in which she resided.

Skeiron sighed again and looked at his wristwatch. "Ten past nine AM already?" he said to his Zorua as he noticed the silhouette of Ipomoea rising in the distance. "Come now, little one! We've got little time to waste!" Skeiron added as he began to run towards the little town.

"Zor~," was the Pokémon's giddy response, and ran after his friend immediately.

Once they arrived in the town's outskirts, Skeiron asked about and eventually found his way to the Professor's home. Ipomoea Town was an old town, with several ruined buildings and marble pillars scattered about, consumed by flourishing vines plentifully bearing Morning Glory blossoms. All in all, traversing the town wasn't as simple as it would seem; most residences were empty and the majority of residents were of considerable age.

The duo entered the Professor's house and took notice of a comfortable sofa. Judging from the large desk and organized furniture, this was a waiting room for meeting with the Professor. Skeiron hadn't noticed a Pokémon Center during his somewhat involuntary exploration of the town, but it would seem that the Professor herself acted as a substitute caregiver for those suffering from illness or injuries.

There was a large drink-dispenser in the corner of the room, and Skeiron poured himself and his Zorua some water. It was lukewarm, and this was rather disappointing because he wanted to brew a cup of tea with the tea-bags provided on a nearby stand. His Zorua frowned slightly and turned up its nose at the beverage before joining Skeiron on the large sofa, nestling around his trainer's neck and proceeded to take a well-deserved nap. Apparently, the little critter was more exhausted than he let on during their journey.

The door to the outside of the lab opened and a girl walked into the lobby, trying to fix her hair at the same time. A blue, metal Pokémon floated next to her, seemingly uncaring about the world in general. That girl was Enora, who hailed from Shalour City in Kalos. Enora looked around the room and was surprised to find it almost entirely empty, save for a single person sitting on a red velvet sofa. She looked around the room one more time, trying to find someone like an assistant, but ultimately failed and turned to the person on the couch.

"Hey, do you know where Professor Cypress is? I was told that this is her lab, but it is a lot quieter than I expected a research lab to be." She cocked her head, as she asked her question, still trying to find life, other than the person in front of her. Her Beldum just floated next to her.

Skeiron took a sip of his drink and didn't make eye-contact at first. His Zorua, however, opened one of his eyes and looked lazily at the girl and her Beldum. He yawned and went back to his peaceful slumber nearly straight away.

"I'm expecting her myself as well, actually," Skeiron muttered, taking a second sip. "But you're quite right. It _is_ rather silent in this town. Then again, for a town littered with elderly people, I suppose it's busy. Just not here." he added with a small smile crossing his lips.

"But, pray tell, what business do you have with her?" he asked as politely as he could muster.

"I am just here to get a starter Pokemon and then tour the Kaiko region. Not much else that I am here for." Enora shrugged. "This is a region I haven't seen before and I heard that the diversity in Pokemon is much like it is in Kalos, even if the region is vastly different."

"Hmmm, I see. Well, I've been invited here to help gather information on Sinnoh-related Pokémon species. However, I hardly see what kind of contribution someone like myself to a Professor." Skeiron sighed audibly and deeply. "The name's Skeiron, by the way. But I digress. Not that I don't appreciate being summoned here, of course, but I must admit that the weather could have been more pleasant than it is right now in order to have a truly perfect stay here. Nonetheless, I am looking forward to investigating the rest of this region; even though this town itself is as decrepit as can be, the flowers are certainly a feast for one's eyes!" he said with a wide smile.

Suddenly, one of the doors in the back of the lobby swung open violently and out came a lady who was of considerable age, not unlike the rest of the villagers. The lady wore a white lab-coat with a purple dress underneath. Yet, her smile was kind and generous, and she had an air of grandma-ness about her. Perhaps even fairy godmother-like.

"Ah, you came!" she exclaimed in a lively and cheerful manner. "Both of you! Oh, how glad I am that you've arrived!"

Skeiron cocked an eyebrow at the lady standing in the lobby and smiled by way of greeting, while Enora just waved to greet the professor.

"Professor Cypress, I presume?" Skeiron asked carefully.

"Why yes, that's me!" the elderly replied. Her countenance was warm and kind as she rushed over to another door, and hastily opened it. "Now then, young whippersnappers, I suppose I should explain why you're both here! It was back in the good old days that I started my research right here in Ipomoea Town. Oh, how bustling it was back then! Cakes being sold on every corner of the street and all was well and good. However, my glory days have long since passed, and I can't investigate any Pokémon on my own anymore. As youthful as I may appear, my body is very, very old." she said, rambling slightly as she rummaged to what seemed like a storage closet.

"Now where did put those darn things?" she muttered to herself as she tossed out brooms and other supplied out into the lobby. "Oh yes, right here. I expect you two to go and explore this region in my stead. And to help you on your way, I've got just the thingy."

Professor Cypress emerged from the closet holding a dusty glass case. Inside the case were three identical looking Pokéballs.

"Yes! It's dangerous to go alone, so take this! These Pokéballs contain the starters for this region," she squealed in delight as she blew the dust off the case. "Now don't look me like that, you're only ones traveling here as time passes by, and these just happen to be the ones I've got left."

Skeiron smiled awkwardly and looked at the Professor with slight surprise. " _Hand-me-downs, then?"_ he thought. " _Oh well, she's kind enough to give us a Pokémon in the first place_."

"Thank you very much, Professor," he said as he eyed the three Pokéballs with a spark of intrigue in his eyes.

Enora echoed Skeiron before she went to professor Cypress and looked at the balls with an interested look on her face. Looking at the balls, she could spot the telltale leaf, water drop, and flame etched into the otherwise normal Pokéballs. Sadly, she couldn't see which Pokémon would be in the balls and she hadn't found out which starters were offered in the Kaiko region while she had been doing research.

"Professor Cypress, which Pokémon do you give out as the starters of this region? I haven't been able to find any information about it before, so I haven't been able to make a choice," she admitted a bit sheepishly.

"Ah yes!" Professor Cypress answered and pulled out a chart from an inside pocket in her lab-coat. After some muttering and thinking, she spoke again.

"Oh! Well, first of all, here in the Kaiko Region, we don't have specific starter Pokémon which are unique to this region. Rather, since ancient times, the starter Pokémon that we're using have been borrowed from other regions; Sinnoh, Kalos, and Unova, to be precise." she said.

"You'll have the choice between a Turtwig, a Fennekin or an Oshawott! Choose wisely now!" Cypress crooned as she placed the glass case on the table. At that moment a Monferno waddled in, and placed two Pokédexes on the table before departing to the back of building with a reserved "Fern~!".

"Now then, I must tend to urgent egg-hatching business. However, once you've chosen I expect you two to head out immediately. So long now, you two!" she added and left the room as quickly as she entered.

"Well, that was helpful." Enora snarked at the retreating form of professor Cypress before turning back to the Pokéballs containing the starters.

"You don't mind if I pick first, will you? I wanted to get an Oshawott for a long time now." She turned to look at the other person in the room, trying to make sure she didn't step on his toes by picking without consulting him first. Technically, he should have had the first choice as he had arrived earlier than she had.

"Oh, yes, of course! Personally, I'd like one of those lovely Turtwigs. I've always wondered you see, what it would be like to take a nap underneath the tree on Torterra's back! So, by all means, go right ahead." Skeiron nodded and moved slightly out the way.

This movement, however, resulted in his Zorua being woken up rather roughly, and he tumbled clumsily onto the sofa's pillows. "Zorrrrr…" it growled.

Skeiron rolled his eyes a bit and pet his partner's fluffy ears while ignoring his response.

"Thank you," Enora nodded to Skeiron, before reaching out to grab the Pokéball with the water drop etched into it. She savored the moment briefly before turning around and throwing the ball to release the Pokemon inside.

"OSHA," the Pokémon cried as it materialized for the first time in years. The little Sea Otter Pokémon sneezed as it took in the real world. Then it turned around to spot a girl standing with a Pokéball in her hand, another Pokémon floating near her. She appeared to be his new trainer and he waddled up to Enora, who had already crouched down to meet her new Pokémon.

"Hello, little one, I am your new trainer from now on. I am sure that we can work together to make the upcoming journey great," she smiled at the Oshawott. The Oshawott's eyes started to water. Enora thought she had made a mistake, but the water-type launched himself into her arms as it bawled at the thought of finally being picked by a trainer. Enora just cuddled the Pokémon close and stood up before smiling happily at Skeiron.

"If your Pokémon is as happy to be picked as mine, you will have a lovely time on the road," she remarked.

"Let's hope so," Skeiron replied, a little bit anxious about whether the Pokémon he wanted would like his company.

He walked to the class case, grabbed the Pokéball with the Grass-symbol engraved into it, and casually tossed it onto the floor. With a green burst of light, the Tiny Leaf Pokémon emerged with a broad grin on its face.

"Twig~!" it cheered as it looked around to find its new Trainer. Skeiron took advantage of this and picked up the Pokémon and held it up to have a better look at it. Turtwig was wary and cocked its head a little. Skeiron put it down on the table next to his cup of tea. Turtwig appeared to be thirsty and tried to stick its head in the cup to drink some. Although a lot spilled, he still managed to a get few gulps into his mouth. He then looked up at Skeiron with a look that seemed to be eager for more tea. Skeiron chuckled a little and pet the leaves on the Turtwig's head.

"I'm glad that you like tea, little one. But what to call you… Hmmm…," he mumbled. " Well, seeing as my little Zorua here is called Ceylon, I think Torte would suit you just fine because you'll grow up to be really big and sweet just like a cake rising in the oven. And trust me, nobody can resist a piece of cake at tea-time!" Skeiron added with a wink.

Torte smiled and let out a soft "Tur", but he still tapped the empty cup impatiently so it wasn't clear whether he liked the name or whether he just wanted to get this charade over with and have another cup full.

Enora laughed heartily at the interaction between the trainer and his new Pokemon before turning back to her own new Pokemon, who had stopped crying and now was just sniffing slightly.

"Would you like a name as well, little one? Or would you prefer to stay Oshawott?" She asked the water-type, who looked at her adoringly.

"I guess we have to find you a name then, but what though?" Enora mused, trying to think of a name for the Pokémon in her arms. Her Beldum was called Hagane, so she supposed that her Oshawott could have a name in the same language.

"How about Kawa? It means river." She suggested and the Oshawott nodded enthusiastically in response. "Then your name is Kawa, welcome to the team.

The newly dubbed Kawa patted his trainer's cheek before wiggling free from the embrace and jumped to the floor. He tugged on his trainer's pant leg and pointed staunchly to the exit. It was time to get out of the stuff old lab and onward to adventure. Enora nodded and after swiping one of the Pokédexes, she turned one last time to Skeiron.

"I think it is time for us to hit the road. Professor Cypress seemed eager to get rid of us and I am just as eager to leave this town behind and start my Kaiko league challenge." Enora said.

Skeiron nodded; he wanted to leave as well. Ceylon swiftly fetched the Pokédex for his trainer from the table and carried it with him in his mouth. Torte, on the other hand, seemed to still want his tea, as he didn't follow his master, but instead tapped the cup again. Skeiron sighed a little, picked up the Turtwig with a smile and walked out.

Torte, however, seemed to disagree with his new Trainer's conduct and began to cry. He had been wanting more of that drink and was sad that he didn't get any. Skeiron put a finger to the Tiny Leaf Pokémon's lips and told him that if he behaved well, he'd get some tea that would taste a whole lot better once they got to the next town. Torte immediately quieted down and hopped out of his trainer's arms, walking alongside Skeiron and Ceylon at a leisurely pace. Skeiron smiled widely as he took the Pokédex from his partner's mouth.

"So, where to next, then?" he asked Enora mildly.

"The only way out of here is to go to Wisteria and then to Lantana City. I think there is a gym there that can be challenged." Enora had pulled out a small guide and flipped to the relevant pages to find the suggested route for new trainers. It said that the Lantana Gym was actually recommended to be taken on as the second challenge, not as the first. The suggested path was to actually go to Bluebell first and Enora told Skeiron that.

"Wisteria shouldn't be that far, maybe a day or two if we travel fast. If we get distracted the journey may take a bit longer. Are you used to be on the road?" She asked as she looked up from the guidebook.

"Alright!" Skeiron replied. "Wait… A day? Oh Heavens to Betsy, that's a long time indeed."

He nodded at her question. "Ceylon and I are used to traveling by foot for long periods of time, yes," Skeiron said. "And I do suppose that our new companions are more than eager to stretch their legs for a while as well. Right, Torte?"

The Turtwig nodded and smiled back at his trainer, anticipating tea-time anxiously. He was drooling a little and seemed to be lost in a daydream filled with sweets and treats. Despite his small stature and stubby legs, he managed to keep up quite well and enjoyed the fresh air of the outside world. Ceylon just sniggered a little out loud, and hopped happily from side to side as they walked.

"But the second gym, you say? Hmmmm… How odd. Do you happen to know the typings of the first and second gym, if I may ask?" Skeiron said and folded his hands behind his head after closing his coat tightly. The weather hadn't cleared up as of yet and a cold breeze made him shiver.

"I think that the first gym in Bluebell Town is a Dark-type gym, which would make it the first Dark-type gym I have seen in eight regions," Enora commented on the unusualness of the situation. "Dark-type specialists are more often Elite 4 members from what I know. The second gym in Lantana City should be a Normal-type gym, but the guide is being vague about it."

Kawa looked at his trainer as she kept her eyes glued to the guide paying little to no attention the road ahead of her. She was dodging the puddles on the road with easy and she didn't seem to be slowed down even one bit. Kawa just shrugged as he found that the outside world was a lot bigger than he had ever been able to imagine. His fellow escapee, now named Torte, was also enjoying the trip.

"You tell me when you are beginning to tire, alright, Kawa? I know that having to walk an entire day with only a few stops is going to be a task, so let me know if you need a break, and you can rest in your Pokéball for a bit or I can carry you." Enora crouched for a split second to pat the otter on his little white head, before straightening out again and resuming her walk to Wisteria.

"I may have a bit trouble with the Bluebell gym, seeing as Hagane isn't the best choice to fight with," Enora muttered, looking at her Pokémon with a fond look in her eyes.

"Dark-type, you say?" Skeiron mused as a sly smile spread across his face. "How very interesting…"

He then shrugged a little. "Well, that wouldn't be the first time that guides fail to do their job. You wouldn't believe how cryptic some of them can be. Honestly…"

"Hm…" Skeiron replied. "I suppose that we're at a disadvantage too, though… I mean, Ceylon is a Dark-type yet he isn't particularly fond of fighting. That said, he does have a few tricks up his sleeve. As for you, little one..." he continued as he turned to Torte. "Well, we'll just have to wait and see! But I'm sure that if we all put our minds to work together, we'll figure out a way to win, won't we?"

Torte and Ceylon both grinned widely and nodded eagerly. Skeiron gazed upon his two Pokémon with a blissful look on his face. Perhaps it wasn't such a bad thing to have been invited here after all. Ceylon certainly seemed to enjoy the company of a new friend and Torte chatted away with him happily as the two Pokémon walked together. For a brief moment, Skeiron wondered what his Pokémon were talking about as he noticed Enora pointing in the far distance, at what she described as a well-known campsite.


	2. Surprises in a Ghost Town

We hope you will enjoy the second installment of SSOoF!

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Chapter II: Surprises in a Ghost Town

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The two trainers got up early after a quiet night at the campsite. Enora's Pokemon were outside of their Pokeballs, yawning as their trainer quickly made some breakfast for the whole group.

"We should be able to reach Wisteria Town today if we keep the pace up. It will be good to stock up on supplies, and I want to see if the store has some berries that I haven't been able to find at home." Enora commented as she handed out the food to Skeiron. She then busied herself with grabbing her Pokémon's food bowls and filling them, expecting that Skeiron would probably use his own brand of food for his Pokemon.

"I see!" Skeiron said and put a finger to his lips. "I'd really like to stock up on medicine. And if there's a Pokémon Center that'd be even better! Sleeping outside isn't as charming as most Campers make it out to be…"

Skeiron hadn't put his Pokémon into their Pokéballs at all that night and nodded gratefully after accepting the food handed to him. He was a strong believer in the principle of meals tasting better when shared, and started to rummage through his belongings trying to find what he needed. Skeiron smiled at Enora and handed her a Rage Candy Bar in exchange for her kindness.

"Ah, yes, perhaps I should've told you beforehand. I'm not… particularly good at breakfast." he said before chuckling awkwardly. "Arceus knows why I haven't been diagnosed with diabetes yet with all these sweets."

Meanwhile, Torte was eager to get to going and nudged Ceylon around playfully. The Zorua, who was used to Skeiron's lack of breakfast planning, tried to sit patiently despite his new friend's antics. Both Pokémon glanced at the other trainer's companions from time to time in curiosity when Skeiron wasn't looking.

"Here you go, be sure to eat it all up!" he said as he placed the bowls of food in front of Torte and Ceylon and pulled a thermos flask out of his bag in an instant. He then poured his Pokémon some vaguely green herbal brew in separate bowls and poured himself, Enora and her Pokémon some as well.

"Please, enjoy!" he said with a cheery smile. "I suppose that hosting tea-parties is one of the few things that I'm good at."

"Really now, I would have thought with all the sugar that usually goes into breakfast that it wouldn't be a problem," Enora responded before she took a bite of her food. "Thanks for the tea, I don't normally have the time to set a cup in the morning. It just doesn't warrant the time that I have to spend on it."

She quickly finished her food before she went to make sure she had everything stuffed in her bag again.

"This is really good. What kind of tea is this?" She asked after she took a sip of the tea. Her Beldum didn't seem to like the tea, but then again, he didn't exactly drink much either. Kawa, on the other hand, had already finished his smaller cup of tea and had waddled over to Skeiron, wanting another cup of tea.

Enora just shook her head at her Pokémon and took another sip of the tea. She enjoyed the early morning hours before the world really woke up. It was very different from her normal routine, where she would be running around all day trying to make sure nothing got blown up.

Skeiron noticed the little Oshawott waddling over to him and poured some more into its cup.

"Thirsty little fellow, aren't you? Well, don't be shy, have some more!" he said happily. "And yes Enora, surprisingly enough it really is an issue with me. Not a clue why, though. Maybe I'm just old-fashioned." Skeiron added, trying to brush it off as a joke.

Torte demanded more of the light drink too and once he got some, he greedily slobbered it all up, like a plant that hadn't been watered in a week. Ceylon yawned slightly and pushed his cup to his trainer with his nose as if to help his trainer hurry along with packing his bags.

Skeiron cleaned up as well; daylight was more precious than gold at this point. At least the weather seemed to have improved.

"It's an Eterna Forest Blend, actually. My family's been in the business of producing and shipping delicate pastries and exotic drinks across Sinnoh. Being employed at such a company as a child was tough, but it did teach me a few things about discipline and responsibility." he spoke.

Realising what he just said, Skeiron quickly corrected himself with a face flushed with embarrassment. "That is not to say that my family uses child labor services for their company! It was entirely voluntary on my part, I swear!"

Ceylon sniggered loudly at his partner's awkwardness and decided to play around with Kawa for a bit while Torte took it upon himself to investigate the floating metal creature called Hagane. Torte was very touchy-feely Turtwig and liked to use his paws to discover new things. While trying to learn more about Hagane, Torte tried to jump up to Hagane's height and tap it with his legs. Sadly, he fell short in more ways than one and landed on his butt without reaching the Iron Ball Pokémon.

Hagane just ignored Torte's attempts to investigate and floated next to its trainer's shoulder, nudging her to get up and start the day properly by traveling. Enora nodded to her Beldum and she got up from her place.

"Don't worry, I know about being a part of a family business. I am still involved with it today, but I am taking a break before I take over from my grandfather." Enora shrugged before she slung her backpack over her shoulder and started to walk in the direction of Wisteria Town, confident that the others would follow her.

* * *

As soon as they stepped into Wisteria Town, Enora felt a shiver creep down her spine. Something was off, but she couldn't lay her finger on it. Looking at the sun to see if it was worth traveling further after they had quickly shopped for the stuff they needed, she saw that the sun was too far down for them to continue traveling that day. She let a small curse slip. Looking at Skeiron, she motioned him to follow her quietly to the Pokemon Center.

It didn't take long for them to find the Pokémon Center. Much to Enora's relief, Nurse Joy wasn't busy and the two travelers were pointed to a room almost immediately.

"Sorry about that, somehow this town is giving me the creeps. But it is not possible to leave today. Shopping will take up the remaining daylight we have and we have to eat as well." Enora had thrown her pack one of the beds and looked warily at Skeiron.

Once he deposited his belongings in a nearby closet, Skeiron looked out of a nearby window.

"Hmm… You're right about that." Skeiron said, picking up on the unsettling atmosphere. He looked at the people who were walking underneath the window. All of them looked depressed and downtrodden. "Such a gloomy bunch… I wonder why…" he said before shrugging slightly. "Still, we're going to have to go outside to buy supplies, as much as I would prefer not to."

The two of them went outside of the Pokémon Center and tried to find the shopping district of the town. Once they did find it, Skeiron noticed a small shop in the corner of the district. The store itself wasn't any less gloomy than the townsfolk themselves, but it appeared to be in a more well-maintained state compared to most others.

The shopkeeper was a very tall man, although he looked to be slightly underfed. "Hello, there. I presume you must be travelers," he said glumly.

"Yeah, we are heading toward Lantana City. But we got into the town late, so we are staying the night." Enora replied carefully. She had grabbed a basket and after giving a small wave at the shopkeeper, she headed into the store to grab the supplies she needed. She was disappointed to see that they didn't carry any berries outside of the normal selection and she skipped over them, getting some food to carry her and Skeiron over until they reached Lantana City.

"It is rather quiet in Wisteria, even Ipomoea Town seemed livelier than whatever is happening here," she quietly commented to Skeiron when she passed in one of the aisles. "It is like nothing is happening here at all. The selection of goods in this shop is rather meager as well and this store looked better than the others."

"Well yes." Skeiron thought as he put a finger to his lips. Ceylon fluffed up his fur a little bit and glanced from side to side, carefully taking in his surroundings. He'd noticed, just like Skeiron had; this town was plagued by horrible poverty. Torte, however, seemed blissfully unaware of their situation and walked around with a silly grin on his face.

"The townspeople aren't as financially successful as other towns, it would seem." Skeiron mused out loud as he pulled out his Pokédex and opened the map of the region. "Why, just look at its location! It's hardly possible to ignore how close it is to Lantana City."

Enora and Skeiron eventually arrived at a large, abandoned park. Weeds ran rampant across the tiles, and there were only a few benches left to sit on. But, the most striking feature was the large, blooming Wisteria tree; its purple blossoms hanging down from the branches like bunches of pale Grepa Berries.

Skeiron sat down on one of the benches. It creaked with age. "I think I know what's going on here. I think that most of the young people in Wisteria Town have moved to Lantana City, you know, to work there and send money to their families here," he said sorrowfully. Ceylon nuzzled up against his trainer's feet while Torte did the same, thinking that the Zorua was trying to compete for his new trainer's attention.

"That is a possibility. I come from Shalour, where it is never quiet. If people don't come to challenge the gym, they have come to admire the Tower of Mastery, flock to the beach, or want to know more about Mega Evolution." Enora raked a hand through her unruly bangs and sighed as she took in their surroundings. The wisteria tree seemed to be the only source of color in the otherwise dreary town.

"I don't think any town in Kalos comes even remotely near to how Wisteria is looking." She commented settling on the bench, scooping Kawa up from the ground and placing the Oshawott on her lap. "I have seen a few ghost towns while I was traveling, but I have never seen a town like this."

"Nor does any town in Sinnoh, to my knowledge…" Skeiron replied before a spark of remembrance crossed his mind. "Well, actually, there is one. Celestic Town was equally barren. Mostly inhabited by old people and declining in general, it was. That is until Cynthia became Champion. It's said that she boosted its economy through her own wages because her dear old grandmother resides there. But that's just idle prattle from ladies who lack interesting lives of their own." he added, the last sentence containing just the slightest hint of spitefulness.

"But there's very little that we can do other than spend our money here." Skeiron thought out loud. "And I suppose all things must end some day. Even towns that may have been bustling with life at one point end in ruin eventually."

"True," Enora nodded and stood up, still holding Kawa in her arms. "Shall we go back to the Pokémon Center? It is getting rather late and I want to call home for a bit before they have all fallen asleep."

"Yes, let's," Skeiron said, and stood up slowly from the bench. He then picked up Torte while Ceylon leaped onto his trainer's shoulder. He turned around to look at the large tree one last time before turning around and waiting for Enora to lead the way.

She led the way and they quickly arrived at the Pokémon Center, where they packed away the supplies before going down to the café that was part of the Pokémon Center to grab a bite to eat.

To Enora's surprise, there were a few other trainers already in the cafe, eating and talking amongst themselves. When she and Skeiron entered, the trainers did acknowledge them but didn't make any effort to speak to the two. It suited Enora just fine, she was hungry and needed to eat before doing something else. It was a quick meal and the two were in the lobby again after they and their Pokémon finished their meal.

"I think I am going to the training fields for a bit to see what Kawa can do," she told Skeiron, who nodded in response and followed her, curious about what she was going to do. Kawa chittered excitedly, wanting to show off for his trainer. Enora took her Pokémon to the training field and whipped out her Pokédex to see what her Pokémon's current movesets were. She already knew what her Beldum could do, seeing as it was a Beldum all it could do was Headbutt. Not the most amazing move that it could have had. Oh well. After scanning Hagane to check if the dex was working properly, she didn't trust Professor Cypress to have actually maintained the machine properly, she scanned her Oshawott.

"That can't be right?" Enora muttered to herself, looking at the dex with raised eyebrows. "Or maybe it is right?"

Kawa looked at his trainer and crept close to look at the device she was holding in her hands. He didn't see the problem. Enora plucked her Oshawott of the floor and set him in front of some targets.

"Alright, if you can do it, hit that target with Sacred Sword," Enora instructed to Skeiron's surprise. She had expected the reaction as she wasn't convinced either that her Oshawott was actually capable of performing the move.

Kawa cocked his head to the side before he got what his trainer was asking of him. He let out a loud cry and grabbed his shell from his stomach before pumping energy into it. A large brown blade appeared and Kawa sprinted off to the target, almost slicing it in half with a sloppy strike.

Skeiron whistled in admiration and put a finger to his lips before pulling out his own Pokédex.

"I wonder… Did that old Cypress breed you with a specific move…?" he muttered before glancing over at Torte. The Turtwig cocked his head and crooned happily with its trainer's attention. Skeiron started the scanning procedure and looked at the brightly lit screen. "Let's see here… Hmmm… Tackle, Withdraw… Nothing out of the ordinary here… Oh. Ooooooooh! Now _that_ is a gem right there! Or perhaps a diamond in the rough, even."

Skeiron prepared a target as well; or rather, he looked around and decided to settle for a tree stump. He looked at Torte and pointed at the stump.

"Torte, use Heavy Slam, please," he said confidently. Torte nodded and closed its eyes. As he did so, his two front paws began to shine with a silvery glow. Torte's eyes then shot open as he leaped straight ahead towards the stump, his paws extended in front of him.

A loud crash could be heard, and Torte slowly walked back to his trainer. The stump had a sizeable dent in its trunk, with splintered edges. Skeiron lifted up his Turtwig in delight and squeezed it tightly. Evidently, Torte hadn't realized he had done something special, but he let out a satisfied "Twig!" when he was hugged.

"Say Enora," Skeiron began as he petted his Pokémon's head. "We've really gotten lucky, don't you agree?"

"Yep, that old crone actually did us a favor." Enora snickered as she petted Kawa on his head. She got back up to resume training with the little Oshawott when a voice called out to her.

"Hey, you were those trainers that came to the cafe. My name is Harper. Would either of you care for a battle?" A male had walked up to Skeiron and Enora and was spinning a Pokéball with a haughty expression on his face.

Skeiron grinned slyly. "Oh my, look at that. This town really must not get many visitors if we're recognized so easily, eh Enora? I feel like a bloody celebrity now!"

"Just say whether you want to battle also, Kawa and I accept the challenge." Enora grinned.

Skeiron laughed heartily and Torte stepped forward with a fierce expression. "It appears that's enough of an answer."

Harper grinned. "Celebrities? Don't get cocky with us, fella." he jeered as he tossed two Pokéballs onto the ground: a Starly burst forth from the first one and a Scatterbug from the second one.

"Let's see who's stronger!" Harper shouted.

"I can certainly see who's louder, at least." Skeiron chuckled along with Ceylon. The two of them certainly had a similar sense of humor.

"Let's just get on with it, shall we?" Enora ignored her partner and looked at her Oshawott, who was standing in a very sloppy attacking stance, waiting to begin. They would have to work on that in the future.

"Alright, alright, I won't tease our opponent anymore," Skeiron spoke. Torte glanced at his opponents with a wary expression. It made sense; his typing was at a severe disadvantage here.

"You know, Torte," Skeiron told his Pokémon in a whispery voice. "I heard that if you win trainer battles you'll usually get a reward! Aren't you curious what it could be? Perhaps it's money or gems! Or maybe… it's a big slice of cake!". And with that, a burning passion flared in the Turtwig's eyes. Motivation was key here, Skeiron noted, and that will certainly come in handy during future training sessions.

"Well, then if we are all done with the pep talks, let start. Kawa, use Water Gun on that Starly!" Enora commanded.

Kawa didn't spare a moment to comply with his trainer's command and took a deep breath before spewing out a jet of water that headed in the direction of the bird Pokémon.

"Dodge, Starly, and follow up with Tackle. Scatterbug, use String Shot on the Turtwig." Harper didn't waste any time to start his side of the battle and his Pokémon went to work quickly. Starly dodge the incoming jet of water by a hair and then sped off to Kawa, who dodged to the side before shooting of another water gun. The Scatterbug made use of the distraction to use his attack and shot a thick strand of white webs from its mouth.

"Latch on to that String Shot!" Skeiron yelled. Torte focussed on the strand approaching him, and just as it was about to collide with the Twin Leaf Pokémon, he opened his mouth and caught the webs with his jaws.

Skeiron enjoyed the dumbfounded look on Harper's face thoroughly. "Caught ya," Skeiron said as a mocking smile spread across his face. "Use Tackle." he then called and pointed directly at the Scatterbug. Torte immediately dashed towards the Bug-type with the webs still held tightly in his mouth.

"Starly, Quick Attack, Scatterbug, get out of there now!" Harper yelled, his Pokémon scrambling to do as their trainer asked.

The bird accelerated quickly and managed to ram into Oshawott, who was thrown back a bit as result.

"Now, use Water Gun, Kawa," Enora shouted, seeing an opening. Kawa quickly launched his third attack and this time it hit. The Starly cried out as it was hit by the water gun and Kawa didn't give it a chance to recover by quickly running to the Starly and Tackling it into the ground.

As for the Scatterbug, it tried to jump away to dodge Torte's Tackle and landed in a nearby tree; seemingly out of Torte's reach. However, in its haste, it had forgotten that it was still attached to Torte through the String Shot.

"Isn't it funny how elastic these strings are? But I can't imagine them being able to stretch much further..." Skeiron mused as he looked at Harper. "Why don't we 'reel him in'? Use Withdraw!" he shouted. And with that, Torte made an about-face; pulling the Scatterbug harshly off the tree's branches and launching it toward its opponent.

"Scatterbug, no!" Harper shouted. "Scatterbug, yes!", Skeiron yelled and tightly clenched his hands into fists. "Torte! Use Tackle!". The Turtwig then ran towards the Scatterbug again and jumped: the Tackle connected, and Torte's front paws were planted firmly in the Scatterbug's face. The resulting force smacked the Scatterbug backward and against a tree, cleanly snapping the String Shot's threads. Torte spat out the remaining threads and looked proudly at his trainer before focussing his attention back to his opponent.

"It seems like the battle is over," Enora called out. The Starly was only twitching a bit and the Scatterbug was completely down for the count.

"Good match, though," she said to Harper, who just sighed and recalled his Pokémon. She scooped up Kawa, as he was jumping up and down in excitement at the thought of having won his first battle. She quietly praised him before placing him back on the ground.

"Ahaha! Yes, yes, jolly well done indeed!" Skeiron said gleefully as he looked at his Turtwig. Torte had tears of joy in his eyes; even though he was a Grass-type, he still managed to win against a Bug-type. Ceylon crouched down beside him and nuzzled Torte's cheek, showing approval of his battle. Skeiron picked both his Pokémon up and held them close.

"Let's go see if the Pokémon Center has any yummy cakes!" he said and began to walk back towards the Pokémon Center. "You and your Pokémon will come too, won't you, Enora? It's my treat!"

"Sure, first win needs to be celebrated," Enora replied and walked with Skeiron and their teams back to the cafe. Their journey had started out rather well. Enora hoped that this would be a good omen for the rest of the trip.


End file.
